Police nab suspects in Luling burglaries

Authorities say man, girlfriend broke into several homes

St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne has announced a pair of arrests in the serial burglaries that have taken place throughout the River Parishes and Jefferson Parish.

 

Dwayne Blair Jr., of Westwego, was arrested and charged with burglary and assaulting a police officer in Jefferson Parish. He has also been charged with four counts of burglary in St. Charles Parish in addition to other counts in St. Tammany, St. James, and Ascension parishes. Champagne credited his detectives’ work on the case for the apprehension.

Blair’s girlfriend who was previously reported to have acted as a lookout in the crimes was also arrested and will be charged in St. Charles Parish with four counts of burglary.

"It looks like he was spotting people who were leaving their house," said Champagne. "Three out of the four burglaries that occurred at this time happened when people had just left their house."

Although the initial car reported in the burglaries was silver Toyota Corolla with Texas plates the car reported at the scene of the last burglary was a silver Altima with Missouri plates.

Detectives were able to track the usage of gift cards that were stolen from the burglary on Barton Street in Luling.

After finding out one of the cards was used at a gas station on Clearview Parkway in Metairie Champagne’s detectives recovered security camera footage of a then unknown Blair at the station.

Champagne said his men began searching in the Clearview Avenue area for the car with Missouri plates and were able to track it down through a rental car location. Detectives found Blair had rented the vehicle as a co-signer with his mother and his identification picture matched the man in the security footage.

Unmarked detectives were able to locate Blair at a local hospital where was being treated for a heart problem.

Blair was apprehended at noon last Friday as detectives waited outside of hospital. However, doctors told investigators he was on a heart monitor and had to return to their care.

Jefferson Parish deputies stood 24-hour watch until Blair was released. Upon being released from doctor’s care Blair allegedly head-butted the officer who was watching him and fled down the hall before being subdued.

"He’s been arrested for burglaries, robberies, every type of drug offense," said Champagne. "He is a habitual offender he could be looking at 20 to life. He can get up to 12 years on each count."

Champagne said his office would also likely charge Blair with felon in possession of a gun due to the weapons he stole in burglaries.